PARCC Accessibility Features and
Accommodations Manual Training
for the PARCC Field Test
ASU PARCC Conference
January 2014
Participant Outcomes
Participants will:
• Receive PARCC Field Testing Updates
• Review the PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations
that will be available for the 2014 field testing
• Review the changes between the PARCC Accommodations
policies and the current Arkansas Accommodations policies.
2
A New Vision for Accessibility
• Apply principles of universal design for accessible assessments
during every stage of the development
• Minimize/eliminate features of the assessment that are irrelevant
to what is being measured
• Measure the full range of complexity of the standards
• Leverage technology for the accessible delivery of assessment
A New Vision for Accessibility
• Build accessibility throughout the test itself without sacrificing
assessment validity
• Use a combination of ‘accessible’-authoring and accessible
technologies from the inception of items and tasks
• Engage state and national experts
PARCC Accessibility Features and
Accommodations Manual-2nd edition
The second edition is a comprehensive policy document that will
support local educators in the selection, administration, and
evaluation of accommodations for the assessment of students with
disabilities, English learners, and English learners with disabilities on
the computer-delivered PARCC Mid-Year, Performance-Based, and
End-of-Year Assessments.
• The manual provides educators with information on the
accommodations which, when used on the PARCC End-of-Year,
Performance-Based-Assessment, and Mid-Year assessment, will result
in a valid score for a student.
• Note: The mid-year is a non-summative, non-required
assessment that AR does not plan to purchase for LEAs.
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Overview of the PARCC Manual
• Background and Introduction
• Section 1: Overview of the PARCC Assessment, Claims,
and Design
• Section 2: PARCC Accessibility System & Accessibility
Features for All Students Taking PARCC Assessments
• Section 3: Accommodations for Students with
Disabilities
• Section 4: Accommodations for English Learners
• Section 5: Steps in the Decision-Making Process
PARCC Comprehensive
Accessibility Policies [Section 2]
Features for All
Students
Accessibility
Features*
Identified in advance
Accommodations
**
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* Available to all participating students
**For students with disabilities, English
learners, and English learners with
disabilities
Accessibility Features for All Students
• Tool, support, scaffold, or preference that is built into the
assessment system that can be activated by any student, at his
or her own discretion.
• Universal Design features expected to benefit a diverse array of
students and are available to all students.
• Provided onscreen, stored in a toolbar, or are accessible
through a menu or control panel, as needed.
• During the assessment, students can choose which accessibility
features they need for specific items. Examples include: audio
amplification, highlighting, pop-up glossary, etc.
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Accessibility Features for All Students
Accessibility Features for All Students
Audio Amplification
Blank Paper (provided by test administrator)
Eliminate Answer Choices
Flag Items for Review
General Administration Directions Clarified (by test administrator)
General Administration Directions Read Aloud and Repeated (by test administrator)
Highlight Tool
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Accessibility Features for All Students
Accessibility Features for All Students
Headphones
Magnification/Enlargement Device
NotePad
Pop-Up Glossary
Redirect Student to Test (by test administrator)
Spell Checker
Writing Tools
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Limitations for Field Testing
• Notepad tool is not available
• Spell Check is not available on Windows
Accessibility Features Identified in
Advance
• Available to all students (i.e., not limited to students with IEPs, 504
plans, or English learners), but will be selected and “turned on” by
school-based educators prior to the assessment, based on each
student’s Personal Needs Profile (PNP).
• Based on each student’s individual needs, a PNP is created for the
student to ensure that he or she receives appropriate access without
the distraction of other tools and features that are not required by the
student.
• Although school-based educators will enable specific accessibility
features for students, the student will decide whether or not to use
the feature. These accessibility features will be readily available on
the computer-delivered testing platform.
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Accessibility Features Identified in
Advance-Field Testing
• The PNP Process will not be operational for field test.
• PARCC has developed the PARCC Field Test PARCC
Accessibility Features and Accommodation Documentation
Form
– Documents the accessibility features and accommodations
that must be identified in advance.
– Can be used to assist in registering students for field test via
PearsonAccess.
Let’s Review the form!
http://www.parcconline.org/parcc-accessibilityfeatures-and-accommodations-manual
http://www.parcconline.org/parcc-accessibilityfeatures-and-accommodations-manual
Accessibility Features Identified in
Advance
Accessibility Features Identified in Advance
Answer Masking
Background/Font Color (Color Contrast)
General Masking
Text-to-Speech for the Mathematics Assessments
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Limitations for Field Testing:
• General Masking: Not Available
• Text-To-Speech for Math: For PBA and EOY
• Grades 4, 7, Algebra only
• Human reader will be needed for other grades*
• Background/Color Font: For PBA and EOY
– ELA Grades 3, 5, 8, 11 only
– Math Grades 4, 7, Algebra I, Geometry only
• Answer Masking: Only for EOY
– ELA Grades 3, 5, 8, 11 only
– Math Grades 4, 7, Algebra I, Geometry only
Administrative Considerations for All
Students
Principals, STCs or the IEP, 504 or EL team may determine that any
student may require one or more of the following test
administration considerations, regardless of the student’s status as
a student with a disability or who is an English learner:
– Small group testing
– Frequent breaks
– Time of day
– Separate or alternate location
– Specified area or seating
– Adaptive and specialized equipment or furniture
Please note: IEP, 504 and EL teams may still document these needs in a
student’s IEP, 504 or EL plan based on the individual needs of students.
Principals may not override a team decision.
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The 5-Step Process
Decision-Making Process for Selecting, Using,
and Evaluating Accommodations for Students
with Disabilities, English Learners, and English
Learners with Disabilities
(5-Step Process)
[Section 5]
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The 5-Step Process Includes:
Step 1: Expect all Students to Achieve Academic Grade-Level
Content Standards
Step 2: Learn About Accessibility Features and Accommodations
Step 3: Select Accessibility Features and Accommodations for
Individual Students
Step 4: Administer Accommodations during Assessments
Step 5: Evaluate and Improve Accommodations Use
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Proposed
Accommodations for Students
with Disabilities
[Section 3]
Presentation Accommodations Available
for Field Test
Content Area
ELA/Literacy
Presentation Accommodations
Text-to-Speech or Video of a Human Interpreter for the ELA/Literacy
Assessments, including items, response options, and passages
In making decisions whether to provide the student with this
accommodation, IEP and 504 teams are instructed to consider whether the
student has:
Blindness or a visual impairment and has not learned (or is unable to use)
braille;
OR
A disability that severely limits or prevents him/her from accessing printed
text, even after varied and repeated attempts to teach the student to do so
(e.g., student is unable to decode printed text or read fluently);
OR
Deafness or a hearing impairment and is severely limited or prevented from
decoding text due to a documented history of early and prolonged language
deprivation
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Presentation Accommodations Available
for Field Test
Content Area
ELA/Literacy
Presentation Accommodations
Text-to-Speech or Video of a Human Interpreter for the ELA/Literacy
Assessments, including items, response options, and passages
Before listing the accommodation in the student’s IEP or 504 plan, teams
should also consider whether:
•The student has access to printed text during routine instruction through a
reader or other spoken-text audio format, or interpreter;
•The student’s inability to decode printed text or read braille is documented
in evaluation summaries from locally-administered diagnostic assessments;
•The student receives ongoing, intensive instruction and/or interventions in
the foundational reading skills to continue to attain the important college
and career-ready skill of independent reading.
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Appendix D: Text-to-Speech, Human Reader, or Interpreter
Accommodation for ELA/Literacy Assessments Individualized
Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan Decision-Making Tool
• PARCC has developed an IEP and 504 Decision-Making Tool for
States Use.
• This decision-making tool is an optional tool that can be used
to document the IEP or 504 team decision for a student’s
participation in the ELA/literacy assessments for grades 3-11.
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Additional Guidance for Human Readers
For human readers who are delivering a read aloud
accommodation they must refer to the appendices below:
• Appendix B: Test Administration Protocol for the Read Aloud
Accommodation for English Language Arts/Literacy Assessments
and Accessibility Feature for the Mathematics Assessments
• Appendix I: PARCC English Language Arts/Literacy Audio Style
Guide (is available on the PARCC website)
• Appendix J: PARCC Mathematics Audio Style Guides (will be
available on the PARCC website later this winter.)
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Presentation Accommodations Available
for Field Test
Content Area
Both Content
Areas
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Presentation Accommodations
Additional Assistive Technology
(Guidelines will be available later this winter.)
Presentation Accommodations Available
for Field Test
Content Area
Presentation Accommodations
Both ELA and
Mathematics
Appendix A: Accessibility Features and Accommodations for Student Taking
the Paper and Pencil PARCC Assessments
Condition #1: A student is unable to use a computer due to the impact of his
or her disability.
Condition #2: A student who recently entered the school and has had very
little or no prior experience or familiarity with technology.
Condition #3: The school has previously documented that it does not meet
the technology requirements to provide the online assessment. The school
must have the technology readiness survey on file.
Please note: For Field Testing, schools have been assigned as a computer-based or a paperbased school, therefore, only condition 1 will apply if a student is unable to take the field test
online; a paper-based assessment can be ordered via PearsonAccess for these students even if
they have been identified as a computer-based testing school.
Presentation Accommodations Available
for Field Test
Content Area
ELA/Literacy
Response Accommodations
Scribing or Speech-to-Text (i.e., Dictation/Transcription or Signing)
for prose constructed responses (PCRs) on the English Language
Arts/Literacy Assessments
In making decisions whether to provide the student with this
accommodation, IEP and 504 teams are instructed to consider whether the
student has:
A physical disability that severely limits or prevents the student’s motor
process of writing through keyboarding;
OR
A disability that severely limits or prevents the student from expressing
written language, even after varied and repeated attempts to teach the
student to do so.
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Presentation Accommodations Available
for Field Test
Content Area
ELA/Literacy
Response Accommodations
Scribing or Speech-to-Text (i.e., Dictation/Transcription or Signing)
for prose constructed responses (PCRs) on the English Language
Arts/Literacy Assessments
Before listing the accommodation in the student’s IEP/504 plan, teams
should also consider whether:
•The student’s inability to express in writing is documented in evaluation
summaries from locally-administered diagnostic assessments;
•The student receives ongoing, intensive instruction and/or interventions to
learn written expression, as deemed appropriate by the IEP or 504 team.
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Presentation Accommodations Available
for Field Test
Content Area
Both
ELA/Literacy
And
Mathematics
Response Accommodations
Scribing or Speech-to-Text (i.e., Dictation/Transcription or Signing)
for the Mathematics assessments; and for selected response (not
constructed response) items on the English Language Arts/Literacy
assessments
Please note: This accommodation applies to Evidence Based Selected
Response (EBSRs), and Technology Enhanced Constructed Response
items (TECRs) (not Prose Constructed Response items) on the English
Language Arts/Literacy assessments.
Appendix C: Protocol for the Use of the Scribe Accommodation
This document will be released by PARCC later this winter.
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Response Accommodations Available
for Field Test
Content Area
ELA/Literacy
Response Accommodations
Word prediction on the ELA/Literacy Performance-Based
Assessment
In making decisions whether to provide the student with this
accommodation, IEP and 504 teams are instructed to consider whether the
student has:
A physical disability that severely limits or prevents the student from writing
or keyboarding responses;
OR
A disability that severely limits or prevents the student from recalling,
processing, and expressing written language, even after varied and repeated
attempts to teach the student to do so.
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Response Accommodations Available
for Field Test
Content Area
ELA/Literacy
Response Accommodations
Word prediction on the ELA/Literacy Performance-Based
Assessment
Before listing the accommodation in the student’s IEP/504 plan,
teams are instructed to consider whether:
•The student’s inability to express in writing is documented in
evaluation summaries from locally administered diagnostic
assessments.
•The student receives ongoing, intensive instruction, and/or
intervention in language processing and writing, as deemed
appropriate by the IEP/504 plan team.
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Response Accommodations Available
for Field Test
Content Area
Mathematics
Response Accommodations
Calculation Device and Mathematics Tools*
(on Non-calculator Sessions of Mathematics Assessments)
In making decisions whether to provide the student with this
accommodation, IEP and 504 teams should consider whether the
student has:
•A disability that severely limits or prevents the student’s ability to
perform basic calculations (i.e., addition, subtraction, multiplication,
or division), even after varied and repeated attempts to teach the
student to do so.
Please note: calculators or mathematics tools cannot be used on fluency items
that measure Sub Claim E-Mathematics fluency in grades 3-6: The student
demonstrates fluency as set forth in the Standards for Mathematical Content)
would be compromised, and the score invalid.
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Response Accommodations Available
for Field Test
Content Area
Mathematics
Response Accommodations
Calculation Device and Mathematics Tools*
(on Non-calculator Sessions of Mathematics Assessments)
Before listing the accommodation in the student’s IEP/504 plan, teams
should also consider whether:
•The student is unable to perform calculations without the use of a
calculation device, arithmetic table, or manipulative during routine
instruction;
•The student’s inability to perform mathematical calculations is documented
in evaluation summaries from locally-administered diagnostic assessments.
•The student receives ongoing, intensive instruction and/or interventions to
learn to calculate without using a calculation device, in order to ensure that
the student continues to learn basic calculation and fluency.
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Calculation Device and
Mathematics Tools, Cont’d.
• The student uses a calculation device (e.g., four-function
calculator, large key or other adapted calculator),
arithmetic table (including addition/ subtraction and/or
multiplication/division charts), and/or manipulatives (IEP
or 504 plan must specify which device or manipulative) on
the non-calculator session of the Mathematics test.
• If a talking calculator is used, the student must use
headphones or test in a separate setting.
• Students with visual impairments may need other
mathematical tools such as a large print ruler, braille ruler,
tactile compass or braille protractor.
Presentation Accommodations Available
for Field Test
Content Area
Both Content
Areas
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Presentation Accommodations
Additional Assistive Technology
(Guidelines will be available later this winter.)
Timing and Scheduling Accommodations
for Field Test
Category
Timing & Scheduling
Accommodation
Extended Time
Teams should consider whether the built-in overage time provided
(refer to the PARCC Test Administration Manual) will meet the
student’s needs prior to including a provision for extended time in
student plans.
Review Appendix E: Guidance for Selecting and
Administering the Extended Time Accommodation…
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Limitations for Field Testing:
• Refreshable braille displays available for ELA/Literacy
only
• Hard-copy braille not available at all
• Closed-captioning not available at all
• Descriptive video not available at all
• Tactile graphics not available at all
• ASL video interpreter not available at all
• Text-To-Speech for ELA/Literacy: For PBA/EOY
– ELA Grades 5, 8, 11 only*
– Human reader needed for other grade levels
Limitations, Cont’d
• Assistive Technology:
– External Devices (no software component) use will
be available
– Devices/software (internal) use will not be available
Accommodations Policies for
English Learners
Proposed Guidance on Selecting
Accommodations for English Learners
When selecting accommodations for English learners, consider the
student’s:
1. Level of English language proficiency (ELP) on the state ELP test
o Beginning, Intermediate, or Advanced
2. Literacy development in the native language
o Native language literacy
o Interrupted schooling/literacy background
3. Background factors that impact effective accommodations use
o Grade/age
o Affective filter (i.e., level of student anxiety/comfort with English)
o Time in U. S. schools
Accommodations for English Learners
KEY for Table 5 below:
•
Highly recommended for use by English learners at this English language proficiency level
 Recommended for use by English learners at this English language proficiency level
May not be appropriate for students at this ELP level
Accommodation
Extended Time
General Administration Directions Clarified in Student’s Native Language
(by test administrator)
General Administration Directions Read Aloud and Repeated as Needed in
Student’s Native Language
(by test administrator)
Scribe or Speech-to-Text:
Responses Dictated for Mathematics Assessment in English
Word-to-Word Dictionary (English/Native Language)
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Beginning
Intermediate
Advanced
•
•
•
•
•
•



•
•
Other Forms:
• Emergency Accommodation Request Form: Appendix G
• Student Refusal Form: Appendix H
• Unique Accommodations Request Form: Appendix F
– For Field Test, use current ADE form
Documenting Field Testing
Accommodations in the IEP/504
• All accommodations that a student needs for
standardized testing should be documented in the
student’s IEP in the appropriate section of the
Consideration of Special Factors page (IEP #102), as
well as in the section for daily accommodations.
• Any accommodation that Arkansas does not currently
allow for our Benchmark/EOC/Literacy exams, but is
allowed by PARCC, must be written clearly and
separately into the IEP. (For example, a mathematical
tool for the non-calculator section of the math
assessment).
Documenting
Accommodations, Cont’d.
• Although PARCC has made some supports and
features universal for all students, some of
these supports are still seen as
accommodations for other assessments.
• IEP teams may want to continue to document
extended time, small group, etc. as
accommodations in light of requirements for
other assessments.
• For example: ACT, SAT
Documenting
Accommodations, Cont’d.
• You may add PARCC accommodations for field
testing through a Separate Programming
Conference or through an IEP amendment
process.
• You may do the equivalent to add PARCC
accommodations to a 504 plan.
IEP Documentation
• Standard Testing Accommodations:
– Small group, read aloud for allowable sessions.
• PARCC Field Test:
– Use of four-function calculator for non-calculator
sessions, read aloud for ELA/Literacy.
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for
College and Careers
Web: www.parcconline.org
Sample Items: http://www.parcconline.org/samples/item-task-prototypes
Test Administration Guidance: http://parcconline.org/assessment-administration-guidance
Assessment Policies: http://parcconline.org/parcc-assessment-policies
PARCC Accessibiliity and Accommodations Manual and Appendices:
http://www.parcconline.org/parcc-accessibility-features-and-accommodations-manual
Twitter: @PARCCPlace
48
Questions?
• For additional information about PARCC, please check out the website:
www.parcconline.org.
• Questions related to the content of the second edition of the PARCC Accessibility
Features and Accommodations Manual or policies. Please contact Jennifer Brown
(jennifer.brown@arkansas.gov) or Melody Morgan
(melody.morgan@arkansas.gov).
• Questions Related to English Learners and Accommodations, please contact Dr.
Andre Guerrero (andre.guerrero@arkansas.gov)
• ADE Field Test Contact: Sheree Baird (sheree.baird@arkansas.gov)